Weekend's Letters To Scoop

Monday, 22 December 2003, 8:51 am
Opinion: Scoop Feedback

Broadcasting Standards Authority: Paul Holmes

I am one of the 10 people who have failed to get a positive decision from the BSA regarding Paul Holmes/Newstalk ZB apalling Kofi Annan comments. Check www.bsa.govt.nz Dec 2003-174-183 for published decision. My next step is to appeal ruling in High Court under section 18 of the 1989 Broadcast Act. I must say that I am very disappointed in BSA ruling but will press on with my complaint. As Edmund Burke said "Evil prevails when good men remain silent"

Regards Terry Evans

Dates On Saddam’s Capture

Your article by Les Blough indicates dates in September rather than December, a serious error on your part. If you are trying to undermine the credibility of BushCo, you must be correct in your assertions. Otherwise, your good efforts will be wasted. Keep after the smarmy little bastard!

Axis of Logic Commentary, December 18, 2003 By Les Blough, Editor A chronology

1. Sunday, September 14, 2003: U.S. capture of Saddam Hussein is disclosed. Reports say that U.S. forces captured him on Saturday night.

2. Monday, September 15, 2003: U.S. Senator Bill Nelson reports in a secret briefing, the Bush administration told senators Iraq had capability to hit U.S. East Coast with WMD, leading to their vote to use military force.

3. Wednesday, September 17, CBS Evening News reports that for the first time, the chairman of the independent September 11 commission is "saying publicly that 9/11 could have and should have been prevented."

Anthony Jaime - USA

Your site

Images like this need to be shown, however the one sided articles that accompany them are just as bad as what you claim to be fighting. This is bullshit

Gregor

CYFS Social Workers

In the defence of his CYFS Social Worker members, PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff implores the media not to name individual social workers when they screw up.

Perhaps Mr Wagstaff needs to be reminded that over 50% of CYFS Social Workers hold no tertiary qualification to practice Social Work, and 67% do not meet the minimum level of statutory social worker competance tabled by CYFS themselves (5 years practice). His plea is just another attempt to blame "the system", thereby removing personal responsibility for professional practice.

"Systems" do not operate independently from the people within them - if the "system" has failed, then the people who set up and work within the "system" failed first. If these same social work "professionals" were doctors, lawyers, or finance specialists practicing so incompetantly, I'd want to know who they were in order to guard myself against will solve CYFS problem - wrong. When an organistion founds itself on a faulty and unsustainable practice philosophy, no amount of money or resources will fix it. Name 'em all, I say.

Yours faithfully

Stephen D. Taylor – Auckland, NZ.

Just Learned About Scoop

Hi,

I'm a liberal U.S. citizen very concerned about President Bush's foreign and domestic policies. I also have an interest in spreading my views and useful information around. To that end, I'd like to pass along my website (Ivan's Blog: http://home.earthlink.net/~ivanklives/) for you to peruse if you have time. On it I have reviews of two important books published in the U.S. this year, and a satiric parody of a popular U.S. talk-show host's fixation on the death penalty. (Conservative KRLA radio host Dennis Prager.)

As of this moment, the 3-part review of All The Shah's Men - An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror, by New York Times reporter Stephen Kinzer is still up on the Home page (i.e.: it has not yet been archived), and the review of Rogue Nation, by former Reagan trade negotiator and Far East expert Clyde Prestowitz is on the Recommended Reading page. The parody of the death penalty is on the Essays page, and is perhaps the most suitable for publication.

I know that you're primarily a news service, but if anything on my blog is suitable for publication, please feel free to do so. I leave it yo you to determine what is and what isn't appropriate copyright-wise. I believe my parody/spoof of Dennis Prager is protected by U.S. law. If you do decide to publish anything I present there, I prefer to have only my website URL attributed to me.

I know too that I am being presumptuous here, but I'm working on the fly. I'll be gone for 1-1/2 weeks over the holidays, and I will check with you again after I return with a more professional query.

Best for the holidays, and keep up the good work. You are now on my Favorites list.

Bill Becker - California, USA

Reality Of War

I think your pictures depict the willingness of a country and even more accurately americans devoted to stopping a man who terrorized and brutalized a country and it's people.

When Sadam Hussein used chemical weapons on his own innocent citizens he showed us first hand why we fight and die for our country. Mass murderer's such as him,(and isn't that a nice name for that sick bastard) need to be stopped. Fear not the man who can kill only flesh, but fear the man who can kill both the flesh and spirit in hell. God will take that child to heaven.

Paul Stipp - USA

Are Parents Concerned Over Green’s School Discipline Policy -

I wonder if New Zealand parents are becoming increasingly concerned at the antics of the dangerous and unwelcome minority? Green MP Metiria Turei wishes to set up an "independent body" to challenge a school boards right to discpline students through expulsion or suspension. It seems as if Ms Turei wishes to project her own allergy to correction onto outrageously behaved students, thereby affirming their rebellion and defiance in the face of reasonable and rational boundaries.

Then we have Tim Barnett affirming the Care of Children Bill, and its desire to have children between the age of 12 & 16 challenge their parents right of authority within the Family Court.

Couple this with the looming rewrite of the Adoption Act (same sex adoptive parents anyone?), and the fact that a female child of any age can secure an abortion without parental consent or involvement, it is clear that the ro who are not parents. Mum & Dad, whether you like it or not, you are now in a war. If you choose not to fight, the consequences of your apathy will be devastating. Your move.

Yours faithfully

Stephen D. Taylor

Good on Ya Chuckman!

Here's to John Chuckman! For his piece "the Dooms day machine" Hip hip Hooray David Jones-Cook A canadian living under to yoke of Sir Roger Douglas' agenda Not a dig

Thank you for your site I shall visit often. There is sanity Keep up the good work

Little Evidence Managers Hide To Avoid Blame

Sir,

It is reported that New Zealand managers "Hide to avoid blame", "are risk-averse and defensive, rather than constructive".

In my 40 years in the work force, I have found little evidence of this among the managers I have worked for in both public and private enterprises.

However, in the last 5 or so years I have noticed an increasing tendency for this reluctance to accept blame to manifest itself when ministers and government department heads are defending their activities (or lack of). This is hardly surprising when one reflects on the activities of our illustrious role models, head goose Helen and her clutch of bureaucratic goslings.

Mirek Marcanik – Wellington, NZ

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